Only here...

Only in this context would a middle-aged man make a comment about how much weight I've lost, immediately followed by the question, "Are you still nursing your baby?" while gesturing and cupping what would be a breast, if he had any.

He was concerned that I wasn't eating enough and or course, as he told me, that is important when you're a nursing mom. I joked that I only eat tortillas and beans as my new diet, which in retrospect wasn't that funny since we have staff who literally only eat that every day. But we all had a good laugh and moved on. It struck me how this conversation wouldn't have happened in the US, at least in any of my circles.

It's interesting to be in a culture that has mixed messages about breastfeeding. On the one hand, it's a common part of daily life, and me deciding to nurse wherever and whenever, in general, doesn't get a second glance. It's seen as a natural and expected way to nourish a child. There's no shame. I see moms nursing their babies all the time (interestingly, most often indigenous women). It's just what it is, food for a baby. If only the US could figure it out. It's so frustrating, the double standard that breastfeeding offends so many people, but women dressed overly sexy is not a problem. What most often looks silly here is trying to cover that feeding process up for the sake of others.

Then there is this other part of the culture that pushes formula and bottles. Our nurses at the hospital where Ruby was born had no clue what to do with me since I refused formula and wanted to exclusively breastfeed. I had to explain to them it was not only OK, but necessary, to wake up the baby every few hours so I could nurse her. I had to fight hard to not let them give her formula and to allow her to be in the room with me in the middle of the night so I could feed her when she needed.

Yes, I've lost weight. Yes, I'm eating well. Yes, I'm still nursing my baby.